Atomic energy dust trapping device



Sept 1970 A. M. sENKEwlcH ATOMIC ENERGY DUST TRAPPING DEVICE Filed April5. 1965 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent O U.S. Cl. '5-102 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A dust collecting screen operated by voltage from an atomicbattery.

Dust of any composition found suspended in air has its own static chargeof one or another polarity. This dust will tend to settle on any objectcharged with opposite polarity by an electric current. As a result ofthis principle, the dust which at the present time enters the roomthrough open windows may be settled outside.

Referring to the figures, it will be seen that:

FIG. 1 is a front View of the frame having reinforced insulators andstretched wires.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 41-41 of FIG. 4 showing theassembled generator.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 40-40 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the plate with the electrode.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the same.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the second electrode with a container for theradioactive substance.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the same.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a section of the 'Wall of the generatorscase.

A window frame 111 (FIG. l and FIG. 2) is constructed of any insulatingmaterial (wood for example) corresponding to the size of the window orpart of it. From one side of this frame a row of wires 13 with a certainspacing between them is fastened to the insulators 12 in thelongitudinal or transverse direction. The distance between the wiresdepen-ds upon the magnitude of voltage developed by the generator. Thehigher the voltage, the smaller may be the distance between the wires ofone polarity. The wire must be clean and without insulation. It isdesirable that the wire be coated with a metal that does not easilyoxidize, silver for example. All wires are connected between each otherin parallel and the plus side of the DC voltage source is connected tothem. From the other side of the frame a row of Wires 14 is fastenedalso to the insulators 15 in the same direction. The wires arepositioned not opposite the first ones, but between them. These wiresare also connected between each other in parallel and the minus side ofhigh DC voltage source is connected to them. Here a low currentintensity on the order of a few microamperes is quite suflicient. Inorder to trap dust on the wires a high voltage atomic generatorconstructed on the following principle is applied.

As is known, the splitting of the atoms of a radioactive substance(strontium, uranium, and others or their isotopes) is accompanied by astream of electrons. If a metallic plate is placed in the path of motionof these electrons, then this plate will be subjected to an electronbombardment and the electrons will settle on the plate. As a result ofsuch electron bombardment the plate is heated somewhat and a charge ofnegative polarity is transferred to it by the electrons since electronscarry a charge only of negative polarity. According to the principle ofutilizing electrons whose stream is observed as a result of splitting aradioactive substance, a high voltage atomic generator of the followingconstruction is proposed.

lCC

CONSTRUCTION OF THE ATOMIC GENERATOR A case made of good insulatingmaterial consisting of two compartmentsupper 16 and lower 17-is taken.The cover has the edge 18 tightly fitting the corresponding groove y19(FIG. 9) of the case, thus creating a tight and reliable fitting. Thefixed insulators 20 and 21 pass through the centers of the cover and thebottom of the case, whose punch-through capability is calculated inaccordance with the corresponding high voltage. Threaded metallicelectrodes pass inside the insulators. The upper-external end of theupper electrode 22 will serve at the same time as a sink of current ofnegative polarity. To its internal end, however, a plate 24 (round inshape for example) made of silver, molybdenum or other metal isattached. This plate will appear as though it was one of the envelopesof a common condenser. This plate will be charged by an electric currentof negative polarity since it will be directly and continuouslysubjected to the electron bornbardment whose stream will be created as aresult of splitting the radioactive substance. As was mentioned above,the insulator 21, inside of which an electrode 23 is placed, passesthrough the center of the bottom of the case. A metallic container-cup25 with inclined walls containing the radioactive substance is fastenedto the internal end of this electrode. The container is positioned underthe plate and at some distance from it. The diameter of the uppercircumference of the container 25 is taken to be smaller than thediameter of the plate 24. The inclination of the walls of the container25 is taken so as to direct the electron stream only onto the surface ofthe plate. Thus the upper electrode 22 and the attached plate 24 willpossess the negative polarity of the electric current; the lowerelectrode 23 and the attached container 25 containing the radioactivesubstance will possess the positive polarity. The faster the flow ofelectrons, the more energetic will be the bombardment of the plate 24and the higher will be the potential of the plate 24 charged by theelectrons. In this way the increasing voltage may reach a magnitude whena spark will appear between the container and the plate creating a shortcircuit. In order to avoid such a phenomenon :and to create a charge offixed voltage on the plate, a discharger is introduced. One stern 26 ofthe discharger is fastened to the lower electrode 23 near the container25 with the radioactive substance, and the second stem 27 of thedischarger is fastened to the rod 28 which is fastened to the plate 24of the upper electrode 22. Thus if the voltage exceeds a fixedcalculated amount, then the current will discharge through the sparkbetween the ends of the stems of the discharger. The external end of thelower electrode 23` will serve as a current sink of positive polarity.The above described case made of insulating material containing theassembled generator is placed on the support-insulators 29.

This case is fitted into the second case which is made of lead. Thesupports of the first case are fastened to the bottom of the second casein order to preserve a constant distance between the walls of bothcases. The construction of the second case is analogous to that of thefirst, which is: the tenon of the upper part of the case is tightlyfitted into the bottom part of the case. In each case the top and thebottom are fastened by the screws in four places. 'Ihe first case hasfasteners 31 and the second-32. The dust which has been settled on thewires of the window frame may be removed with the common vacuum cleaner.The removal of the dust from the surface of the wires may beaccomplished also by switching the polarity of the current to the Wires;i.e. direct into those wires which were and direct into those wireswhich rwere The dust will then separate from the wires and fall into thebag. Thus in places where the proposed installation is utilized, cleanair, uncontaminated by suspended particles, Will pass through the openWindows into the living quarters, which is particularly important forhospitals.

The distinctive pecularities of the atomic generator consist of thefollowing:

(1) The proposed generator does not require external power for itsoperation.

(2) The proposed generator will itself generate high voltage, which willbe generated for tens of years-as long as the decomposition of theradioactive substance will preserve its intensity of emission ofelectrons.

(3) The proposed generator is portable and does not require any specialmaintenance.

(4) The proposed generator is insensitive to any internal temperaturevariations.V

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for removing dust from a uid comprising:

(a) a screen;

(b) said screen comprising a rectangular frame having a first and asecond side and having an opening therethrough extending from said firstside to said second side for the passage of dust ladened fiuidtherethrough, said frame being made from an electrically insulatingmaterial;

(c) said screen ffurther comprising a first series of spaced apartelectrically conducting Wires which are substantially parallel with oneanother, a second series of spaced apart electrically conducting wireswhich are substantially parallel to said lirst series of wires, saidfirst series of wires being mounted on said first side of said frame byfirst insulator means for electrically insulating said first series ofWires from said frame, said second set of wires being mounted on saidsecond side of said frame by second insulator means for electricallyinsulating said second series of lwires from said frame, said first andsecond series of wires extending all the way across said opening, thefirst series of wires being staggered transversely with respect to thecorresponding wire of the second series of wires;

(d) an atomic battery;

(e) said atomic battery comprising a positive electrode spaced apartfrom a negative electrode, said positive electrode formed in the shapeof a container having fiaring sides which flare and extend toward saidnegative electrode, said container containing a radioactive substancewhich emits a stream of electrons, said positive electrode furthercomprising a first sharp point disposed outside of the path of saidstream of electrons, said negative electrode comprising a plate locatedn the path of said stream of electrons, said negative electrode furthercomprising an element having a second sharp point extending from saidnegative electrode toward said positive electrode and said first sharppoint at a point outside of the path of said stream of electrons, saidelement constructed and arranged in such a manner that the second sharppoint is spaced apart from said first sharp point; and (f) firstelectrically conducting means connecting said negative electrode to saidfirst series of Wires and second electrically conducting meansconnecting said positive electrode to said second series of wires.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said atomic batteryfurther comprises a first insulating box surrounding said electrodes, asecond lead box surrounding said first box, both said first and secondboxes having cover portions and base portions, the respective coverportion being fastened to the respective base portion by fasteningmeans, said fastening means including a tongue and groove joint betweenthe respective cover portion and base portion.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first box is spacedapart from said second box by support-insulators.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 Vwherein said first and secondsharp points are disposed below the apex of said conical cup.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said radio activesubstance is molybdenum.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container comprisesa conical cup with its base being disposed above its apex.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,059,253 4/1913 Wimbish 55-1511,428,839 9/1922 ,Fortescue 55-151 X 2,837,666 6/1958 Linder 310-32,858,459 10/1958 Schwarz 310-3 2,908,348 10/1959 Rivers et al. 55-1322,343,338 3/1944 Steel 55-279 X 2,479,882 8/ 1949 Wallhausen et alZ50-106 2,511,958 6/1950 Williams 217-56 2,588,111 3/1952 Hanneman55-132 2,633,542 3/ 1953 Coleman.

2,671,817 3/ 1954 Groddeck 136-202 2,720,582 10/ 1955 Linder et al.250-17 2,789,241 4/ 1957 Frey 313-61 2,803,368 8/1957 Koch 220-42,847,082 8./1958 Roos 55-132 2,934,887 5/ 1960 Keller 58-28 OTHERREFERENCES AD 72778, Armed Services Technical Information Agency,Arlington Hall Station, Arlington, Va., Nuclear Batteries (SeventhQuarterly Progress Report) Ian. 15, 1954-Apr. 15, 1954, Signal CorpsContract No. DA 36- 039 SC-42564, Radiation Research Corporation,526-528 Northwood Road, West Palm Beach, Fla., Received Aug. 15, 1962,p. 16.

-RCA Atomic Battery, Radio Corporation of America, 30 Rockefeller Plaza,New York 20, N Y., Received Apr. 5, 1954, p. 9.

DENNIS E. TALBERT, IR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

